Tokyo, 20 July, /AJMEDIA/
Japan is planning to hold a state funeral on Sept. 27 for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot earlier this month, government sources said Wednesday.
The Nippon Budokan arena in central Tokyo is being eyed as the venue for the rare state funeral, which will be fully funded by the government. The Cabinet is expected to endorse the plan this week at the earliest.
Abe was in office for eight years and eight months until he stepped down in 2020 due to ill health, making him the country’s longest-serving prime minister.
The last time the country held a state funeral for a national leader was in 1967 for Shigeru Yoshida, who served as prime minister as the country rose from the ashes of World War II.
The Japanese public is apparently divided on the idea of holding a state funeral for Abe, as the conservative leader, who was known for expanding Japan’s security role and his signature “Abenomics” policy mix, also faced allegations of favoritism among other scandals.
Abe was shot dead by a lone gunman during a stump speech in the western city of Nara on July 8, two days before a House of Councillors election. The assassination shocked a country known for its strict gun control and relatively few instances of political violence.
